Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 19, 1932. C, E, L, LEPMN A 1,841,616v

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS A Filed OC.. '7, 1927 Patented .laral 19, 1932res Unirse CARL E. L.

PATENT TION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A-GORPORATION OF DELAWAREREFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application led October 7, 1927. Serial No.224,572.

This invention relates to mechanical refrigerating apparatus in general,and more particularly to such apparatus adapted for household use.

One of the chief dificulties in connection with household refrigeratorsis the servicing expense. Dealers in household refrigerators have beenobliged to maintain a service department consisting of highly trainedand skilled men, capable of not only repairing refrigerating apparatus,but of diagnosing the troubles which arise in connection with apparatusof this character.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to reduce theservicing expense to a minimum. v

Another important object of this invention is to provide a refrigeratingapparatus including a removable -unit containing the parts requiring themost skilled attention,

this unit being capable of complete assembly at the factory and adaptedto be inserted in the apparatus as a whole in a convenient manner.

Should this unit fail to work for any reason or should it become worn soas to require repairs, it may be conveniently removed and anothersubstituted therefor. In the meantime, the faulty unit may be repaired,either at the factory or a central depot by experts. The parts of theapparatus not requiring such skillful attention need not be included inthe removable unit.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent as the samebecomes better understood from an examination of the specification andclaims in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary front elevational view of alrefrigerator cabinet embody ing this invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the same, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showingparts in elevation.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, numeral 4 designates arefrigerator cabinet provided with a storage chamber 5 50 reid aremovable upper wall 6 for said cham- The wall 6 forms the mount for therefrigerating unit hereinafter described and is supported in horizontalguideways 7 in the upper portion of the refrigerator cabinet, said wall,when in position, acting to separate the interior of said cabinet intotwo compartments, the storage chamber 5 and an upper chamber 8 whichforms the chamber for the high pressure side of the refrigeratling unit.

The rear edge of the wall 6, when in position, extends to the' rear wallof the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 2 and the front of the wall is providedwith a vertical partition 9 which, when said Wall is in position, abutsagainst a shoulder formed by vertical strips 11 and a horizontal strip12 on the interiorof the cabinet. In this manner, the chamber 8containing the high pressure side of the unit and the storage chamber 5are insulated from each other when the unit is in place.

A suitable refrigerator door 13 acts to close the cabinet.

` The high pressure side of the unit is carried by the wall 6 on itsupper side and consists of a hermetically sealed motor compressor 14,t-he compressor being preferably of the rotary type and the motor beingpreferably of a single phase induction motor type, adapted to be drivenfrom an electric light circuit. An air cooled condenser 15 is alsomounted on the Wall 6 preferably in the vicinity of the motor compressor 14 to facilitate cooling of these parts which are situated wherethey may yreceive the most benefit from a current of air set up by a fan16.

The fan 16 and motor 17 therefor are preferably mounted in an aperture18 formed in the rear of the cabinet. A housing 19 open at either end ismounted on the wall 6 and is so arranged that one end is in registerwith the aperture 18 and fan 16 when the wall is in position. The motorcompressor and condenser are situated within the housing 19 near theother end thereof whereby the air drawn inwardly through a secondaperture 21 in the rear of the cabinet by operation of the fan willstrike first the condenser and then the compressor. If the operation ofthe fan were reversed to force air out of the aperture 2l the positionsof the condenser and comcarried by the wall 6 on the under side thereofin communication with the storage chamber 5 when said wall is inposition. rlhe evaporating element, being on the under side of the wall6, is insulated from the chamber 8 and high pressure side of the unitwhen said wall is in position whereby the heat of the high pressure sideis segregated and prevented from interfering with the eiiiciency of theapparatus as a whole. rEhe evaporating element 22 may be so formed as toprovide fort-he support of ice trays 23 and for freezing the same, aswell as for cooling the chamber 5.

The electric circuit is so arranged that the connections to both themotor 17 which is fixedly mounted in the cabinet and the connection tothe motor compressor which forms a part of the removable unit areautomatical-4 ly broken when said unit is removed and are automaticallymade when said unit is returned to operative position. To this end,three switch blades 24, 25 and 26, are lixedly carried at the rear ofthe cabinet and project inwardly to cooperate with correspond.- ingcontacts carried by the wall 6, whereby Contact is made between saidswitches and their corresponding contacts by the insertion of the wall 6in the cabinet and broken by the removal of said wall from the cabinet.When the wall is in position and such contact has been made, the twoblades 25 and 26 are in connection with the two terminals of the statorwinding of the motor compressor. l

The blades 25 and 26 are normally connected to leads 27 'and 28respectively which are connected to a source of current, for eX- ample,the electric .light socket. The connection to the motor of the motorcompressor may include a thermostat 29 and a conductor 31 leading to anauxiliary starting winding for said motor. The connection to theauxiliary starting winding may include an automatic switch 32 of thetype illustrated and described in connection with m copendingapplication, Serial No. 224,570, ed October 7, 1927, whereby thestarting winding is automatically cut out by the current of aircirculated by the fan 16 after the motor has started. The switch 32 maybe a magnetic time switch or other suitable device forthe purposerequired. i

A pair of conductors 33 and 34 connect the terminals of the motor 17 tothe blade 26 and the blade 24 respectively. Thus the con- 'ductor 34 isat all times in contact with the conductor 28 leading from the source ofcurrent, but the conductor 33 which is connected to the blade 24 is notalways in connection with the other conductor 27 leading to the sourceof current, it being only in connection with said other conductor bymeans of a conductor 33a which is connected between the contactcorresponding to the blade 24 and the thermostat whereby the unit mustbe in operative position in order to complete the ,circuit of the fanmotor and the operation of the thermostat affect both the fan motor andthe motor compressor.

lt will be noted that by the foregoing arrangement, the parts of theapparatus which would naturally require the attention of the mostskilled workman for either inspection, renewal, or repair, are includedin the removable unit. The fan, which may be serviced by an ordinaryelectrician, and a portion of the circuit therefor, are fixed in thecabinet, while the remainder of the circuit is removable with theremovable unit.

I am aware that many changes may be made without departing from theprinciples of this invention and I therefore do not wish to be limitedto the details shown or described.

I claim:

1. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet, of a refrigerating unitand support therefor removably mounted in said cabinet, said unitincluding a compressor motor carried by said support, a fan and motortherefor fixedly mounted in said cabinet independently of said supportin position with respect to said unit for cooling the same when thesupport and unit is in position, an electric circuit, a part thereofcarried by said support and including said compressor motor, and asecond part liXedl. carried by said cabinet and including the an motor,a source of current, and means whereby the two parts of said circuit areautomatically connected to the source of current when the unit isinserted in Y position and disconnected from said source when the unitis removed.

2. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet, of a refrigerating unitincluding a compressor motor, a support for said unit removably mountedinsaid cabinet, a fan and motor therefor xedly mounted in said cabii netindependently of said support in position with respect to said unit forcooling the same when the support and unit are in position, a source ofcurrent, an electric circuit connecting said source of current and saidcompressor motor, an electric circuit connecting said source of currentand said fan motor and means operable by said support for opening bothof said circuits when said support is removed from said cabinet.

In witness of the foregoing I affix my sig-

